Ryanair pilots' strike could cause Christmas travel chaos

Irish pilots employed by Ryanair have voted to go on strike on December 20, according to the Irish Air Line Pilots’ Association (I.A.L.P.A.).

A secret ballot was held at the weekend and the majority of I.A.L.P.A. members voted to support industrial action five days before Christmas.

The I.A.L.P.A. is a registered trade union and is a branch of the trade union IMPACT and affiliated to I.F.A.L.P.A., the International Federation of Airline Pilots Associations.

Members voted overwhelmingly in support of strike action - 94 per cent in favour of industrial action.

The decision to strike will, should it go ahead, cause significant disruption for some people returning home for Christmas.

Why are they striking?

Ryanair pilots want to replace what is known as employee representative councils with a collective bargaining system that would, in turn, take responsibility for all negotiations with the company right across Europe.

IMPACT official Ashley Connolly said: “This dispute is solely about winning independent representation for pilots in the company.”

Ryanair argues that, as a company, the current structure fulfils their obligations and they believe they have approval from the Supreme Court.